Not many rulers managed to win the love of their people, become famous for wisdom and insight. And all this applies to King Solomon! He is also credited with pretty fantastic qualities. It is believed that he understood the language of animals, subjugated the elements of nature, knew how to command jinn and angels. His image is revered by Christianity, Judaism and Islam, although the very fact of the physical existence of King Solomon is still controversial.
Nevertheless, references to this character are found in the cultures of different peoples. In folk legends and works of poets from different countries and times, Solomon is spoken of as the smartest and fairest man. This is evidenced by the phrase "Solomon's decision", which has become a winged one. So we say when we make an informed decision, we find an acceptable way out of an insoluble situation.
So what sacred knowledge did the biblical character possess, to which secrets did he manage to pick up the "keys"?
What the Keys of Solomon Open
The third king of Israel, like all other rulers, relied on secret knowledge, transmitted exclusively by oral means and only to the elect. Solomon was the first to record esoteric practices in writing. He is credited with writing a treatise called The Keys of Solomon. This work is still the source of spells, and modern books on practical magic are written on its basis.
The first mentions of the "Keys" are found in manuscripts dating from the first century AD. e. However, the oldest copy of the treatise, kept in the British Museum, dates back to the 12th century (it was previously believed that this copy was created in the 15th century).
There is another version of the origin of the collection - it was written by the Prince of Darkness himself and presented to Solomon. And Solomon kept the book under his own throne. The very word "key" in the title of the treatise is a symbol. Doors cannot be opened with these keys, they have a different purpose. Their goal is to lift the veil over the secret worlds, to show the influence of otherworldly inhabitants on the fate of ordinary mortals.
Promotional video:
Keys are the most famous books on practical magic, otherwise - "grimoires". It is customary to divide them into two independent treatises called "Small" and "Big" Keys.
Small Key
The witchcraft book consists of five parts, each of which is devoted to different areas of esotericism. For example, the name of the first part "Goetia" is translated from ancient Greek as "harmful magic". It describes a kind of "know" in the spirit world. These are 72 demons, among which there are kings, princes, governors, marquises, earls and dukes.
Each demon has its own image and description of the properties with which it can be useful to the sorcerer. The demonic forces under the command of these mythical entities are listed. Instructions for performing the summoning ritual are also given.
Remembering the audacity and cunning of the devil's offspring, Solomon does not forget about the sorcerer. He gives him effective tools to subdue the demons.
The second part of Theurgy Goetia is not so specific. It describes air spirits from different parts of the world. Each of them has positive and negative qualities in equal measure, and have the same responsibilities. That is, you can turn to any spirit for help, for example, in the search for lost items. Someone's secret is required to be revealed - please contact. This is also in their competence!
The other two parts are devoted to the angels who control the day and night hours, all this is supplemented by various schemes, signs, samples of magic seals. There are descriptions of the process of making ritual objects. Here you can also find a sequence of actions to summon the guardian angel and the angels living in the zodiacal worlds.
And the last part of "Ars Notoria" is special. It contains ancient appeals to God, requests for help, strikingly reminiscent of the texts of Christian prayers.
Reference: The Small Key is a complete set of rituals that allow an initiate to influence events and change, as philosophers say, “objective reality”.
Big Key
The existence of this book is still in doubt. This is due to the fact that the collection was found relatively recently. However, its practical value is very high. It is difficult to find any popular magic technique not described in the Grand Key.
However, there are many complaints about the artifact: it is accused of inaccurate wording, difficulty of perception and lack of a clear structure. All this complicates the orientation on the pages and makes it difficult to find the texts the caster needs.
True, it should be remembered that a dilettante who does not have preliminary basic training faces many dangers during the rituals. Scientific fact: a spell is energy. And energy can be both positive and destructive.
Criticism
There are plenty of grounds for a critical attitude to the Keys: from the question of the authenticity of the existence of the figure of King Solomon himself, to the “origin” of the texts of witchcraft books.
Although this is not the most important point of criticism. The authorship of the grimoires raises the most questions. The fact is that the original, written in ancient Hebrew, has not yet been found. Also, the Keys are practically not mentioned in the old occult treatises.
Therefore, the most reasonable point of view is formulated as follows: the books were written by medieval alchemists and occultists on the basis of oral legends and their own experimental research.
It is indisputable only that the books of the Jewish king are the most reliable and safe source of knowledge on the origins and history of witchcraft, as well as on the mystery of magic. No other treatise contains so many protective measures against all sorts of malevolent demonic creatures.
Natalia Illarionova